There is something about Christmas that invites explanation.
We explain traditions.
We explain why we decorate the way we do,
why we gather, why we give,
why this season matters.
We tell stories.
We pass down meanings.
We rehearse the details.
And none of that is wrong.
But every now and then,
Scripture gently reminds us
that some things are too big to explain.
Some gifts are so full,
so complete,
so overwhelming in their goodness that language eventually runs out.
Paul reaches that moment in a single sentence.
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
That's not a sermon.
That's not an argument.
That is not a carefully constructed explanation.
That is gratitude overflowing past the limits of words.
And at Christmas, when we talk so much about what the season means,
this verse invites us to stop explaining and simply give thanks.
Welcome to Verses We Missed. I'm your host, your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb.
This is your midweek breath of Scripture and grace. And today, we're slowing down with one
short verse that carries the entire weight of Christmas inside it. 2 Corinthians 9.15 says,
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. That's the whole verse. No qualifiers,
no footnotes, no explanation, just gratitude. Paul writes these words near the end of a passage
about generosity. He's encouraging believers to give freely, joyfully, not under pressure
or obligation. He talks about grace that overflows, about God supplying seed to the sower,
about abundance that leads to thanksgiving. And then, suddenly, Paul stops teaching.
He stops persuading. He stops explaining. And he simply says,
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.
It's as if Paul realizes that behind every act of generosity,
every good work, every expression of grace,
there is one gift that makes all others possible.
Jesus.
Paul doesn't say the gift is mysterious.
He doesn't say the gift is unclear.
He says it's indescribable.
That means it cannot be fully captured with language.
Not because it lacks meaning, but because it has too much.
How do you describe God stepping into flesh?
Infinity wrapped in humanity.
The Creator entering His creation.
Grace without leverage.
Love without prerequisites.
Christmas is not complicated, but it is vast.
The Son of God arrives not with force, but with vulnerability.
not with a throne, but with a manger, not with demands, but with mercy. You can explain the
details of the nativity scene, but you cannot fully explain the gift. Eventually, words give way to
worship. One of the quiet pressures of Christmas is the feeling that we must perform it well.
We must feel the right emotions, create the right moments, hold the right traditions together.
But Scripture keeps pointing us back to a simpler posture—receiving.
The shepherds did not explain the angelic announcement.
They received it and went to see.
Mary did not analyze the incarnation.
She pondered it in her heart.
The wise men did not debate the meaning of the star.
they followed it. Christmas is not something we master. It is something we receive. And sometimes
gratitude is the only response that fits. There are seasons when this verse feels especially true.
When joy is real but complicated. When gratitude is present but mixed with longing.
When the year behind you has been heavy. If that is where you are this Christmas,
hear this gently. You do not need eloquent words to approach God. You do not need a perfectly
articulated faith. Sometimes all you can offer is thanks. Thanks for presence, and I mean presence
by as in being with us. Thanks for mercy. And thanks for not being alone. And that is enough.
The gift was never dependent on your ability to explain it.
We exchange gifts at Christmas.
Some are meaningful.
Some are practical.
Some are fun.
Some miss the mark entirely.
But every gift we give is a quiet echo of the greater gift that came first.
God did not wait for us to deserve it.
God did not require us to understand it fully.
God gave because love gives.
And that is why Paul does not explain the gift.
He thanks God for it.
Because once you see it clearly, gratitude is the only response left.
Now, if Christmas feels quieter this year, if joy feels muted, if faith feels tired,
this verse still holds.
The gift does not diminish because your feelings fluctuate.
Jesus remains God's gift to the world, steady, faithful, and indescribably good.
And sometimes the holiest prayer you can pray is simply this.
Thank you.
Let's pray.
Father, thank you for the gift that words cannot contain.
Thank you for Jesus, given freely, given fully, given in love.
In this season of celebration, teach our hearts to receive again.
When explanation falls short, let gratitude rise.
When our words run out, meet us with your presence.
Thank you for the gift that changes everything.
We receive it again today with thankful hearts.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Beloved, if this episode encouraged you,
if it helped you slow down and receive the goodness of Christmas,
would you consider returning some of that value?
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This is a weekly show released every Tuesday at 10 p.m. Pacific.
It's your midweek breath of Scripture and grace.
Until next time, may your heart be filled with gratitude,
your season be marked by hope,
And may you rest in the truth that some gifts are simply too good for words.
May God bless you richly.
My name is Steve Webb.
Bye.